Machine for inserting a drawing thread or drawing ribbon in tampons or the like



Sept. 25, 1956 NIEPMANN ETAL 2,763,899

MACHINE FOR INSERTING A DRAWING THREAD OR DRAWING RIBBON IN TAMPONS ORTHE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 26, 1951 Sept. 25, 1956 F.NIEPMANN EI'AL 2,763,899

MACHINE FOR INSERTING A DRAWING THREAD OR DRAWING RIBBON IN TAMPONS ORTHE LIKE Filed Sept. 26, 1951 IS Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 25, 1956 F.NIEPMANN ETAL MACHINE FOR INSERTING A DRAWING THREAD OR DRAWING RIBBONIN TAMPONS OR THE LIKE Filed Sept. 26, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.v' qywuww BY 4 %mn% United States atent O i MACHINE FOR INSERTING ADRAWI NG THREAD o lgpmwmo RIBBON IN TAMPONS OR THE Application September26, 1951, Serial No. 248,332

7 Claims. (Cl. 19144.5)

This invention relates to a method and machine for inserting a drawingthread or drawing ribbon in tampons or the like. Tampons for womenshygiene are generally provided with a thread or a ribbon whichfacilitates their removal after use. To provide a tampon with a threador a ribbon the same may conventionally be sewn together with thewadding or it may be placed about a web of wadding which in turn isrolled about itself.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means for theseoperations to be carried out automatically. To this end we suggestdisposing the thread at a right angle with respect to the wadding webguided through a slot of a winding spindle and to lay it over saidspindle by means of two slides or the like, to roll the web and then topress the projecting ends of the thread wound round the spindle againstthe lower portion ofthe preformed roll by means of a stripping elementor the like. In this way the thread or the ribbon is laid round thewadding web, and after rolling and pressing the tampon the thread is sofirmly attached to the tampon that practically it can not be drawn out.The two ends of the thread projecting from the tampon may be knottedtogether so that the tampon is removed by drawing both ends.

In a machine for carrying out the invention the slides serving to laythe thread over the wadding web may be designed as semi-circularstripping elements which, when the preformed piece is rolled, press theends of the thread against the lower side of the preformed roll, andwhich then strip the preformed roll off from the winding spindle. Abovethe operation way or path of said slides there may be provided guideplates holding and guiding the ends of the thread while being laid overthe strip. 7 On their inner sides the slides are provided with groovesfor the thread to be laid in. In like manner, the winding spindle isprovided on its front side with a narrow slot for receiving the threador ribbon, these being thus reliably guided by said slots and grooveswhen laid over the strip.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being made to the accompanyingdrawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention isclearly shown.

Figure 1 is a side view,

Figure 2 is a front view,

Figure 3 is a diagrammatical view showing the thread in its positionbefore the winding spindle,

Figure 4 is a front view of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a cross section taken on the line VV of Figure 3,

Figures 6 to 8 show the different positions of the slides when drawingthe thread over the spindle.

The wadding web 1 used for the manufacture of a tampon is drawn from aroll 2, passed through two guide rollers 3 and 4, and brought by meansof tongs 5 into the position shown in Figure 4. The tongs 5 may be movedand steered in any manner, their operation being not an object of theinvention. From the rear side, a winding 2,763,898 Patented Sept. 25,1956 spindle 6, provided with a slot 7 adapted to receive the strip, isthen slid over the strip 1 (Figure 3).

The axial movement to and fro of this spindle 6 is effected by the mainshaft 8 of the machine (Figures 1 and 2), which may for example bedriven by a gear wheel 9. Mounted on said shaft 8 is a curved drum 10for the oscillating lever 11 which, through a bushing 12, is soconnected to the end of the winding spindle 6 that the latter is capableof rotation.

By means of tongs having jaws 13 and 14, the drawing thread 15 or aribbon serving the same purpose is drawn over a guide roller 16 from afeeding roll (not shown) so as to come to the front side of the windingspindle (Figures 3 and 4). The steering elements of these tongs areshown in Figs. 1 and 2. The jaw 13 is rigidly fixed to a support piece17 which, by means of a sliding bushing 18, is capable of sliding over arigidly fixed guide rod 19. The support piece 17 is linked to a rod 20operated by a lever 21 so as to move up and down. Said lever 21 ismounted on a shaft 22 disposed parallel to the main shaft 8.( F igure l)and is steered, through a double lever 23 with two rollers 24 and 25, bytwo curved disks or earns 26 and 27 attached to the main shaft 8. Forthe sake of clearness said curved disks 26 and 27 are not illustrated inFigure 2 of the drawing.

On the support piece 17 of the jaw 13 is mounted the jaw 14 so as tohinge on the bolt 28 (Figure 2). Moreover the support piece 17 carries ashort lever 29 which, through two parallel levers 30, is connected tothe movable jaw 14, said levers having between them a roller 31. Besidethe guide rod 19 there is arranged a'movable steering rod 32 having ashort travel up and down and being provided with two curved pieces orcam portions 33 and 34 the latter piece being disposed at the upper endof said steering rod 32. At its lower end, said steering rod is rigidlyconnected to a lifting piece 35 which is guided on the steering rod 19by means of a bushing 36. The lifting piece 35 engages with a lever 37which is steered, through the steering lever 38 having rollers39 and 40,by means of the curved piece or cam 41 mounted on the main shaft 8. Thesteeringlever 38 is mounted on the shaft'42. This steering mechanism isnot shown in Figure 1.

The tongs operate as follows:

, In Figure 2 the tongs are in the lowermost position, the roller 31 hasrun on the curved piece 33 and drawn the jaw 14 from the jaw 13. Whenthe main shaft 8 is set to rotation the whole support piece 17 is liftedthrough the curved disks 26 and 27, the roller 31 sliding from thecurved piece 33 so that the tongs close under the pressure of a spring.(not shown). As the support piece 17 approaches its uppermost positionthe roller 31 runs on the curved piece 34 thus causing the tongs to openagain. The drawing thread 15 to be grasped is led through a guide 43 anda bush 44, a short piece of it extending down freely. To ensure that theopened tongs may slide over said free thread end the curved piece 34 isby means of the steering rod 32 lifted a little together with thesupport piece 17. Such lifting operation is effected by means of thecurved disk 41 as described. After reaching the upper limit the supportpiece 17 is brought down whereas the curved piece 34 remains in itsuppermost position so as to enable the tongs to close and to grasp theend of the thread. Near the lower limit the tongs open, and the steeringrod 32 is also led down again so that the thread 15 now hangs downvertically before the a ure. 1). At the front side of theslides 45.and46there are guide pieces 51 and 52, which at their opposite ends areprovided with semi-circular cut-outs 53 corresponding to the diameter ofthe winding spindle 6. On theirside directed toward the machine frame,these guide pieces 51 and 52 are provided with narrow keygrooves 54 andin the cusp of thecut-outs 53 with grooves .55 Figure 3).

Above the travel way or path of the: slide-45 and :below thetravel wayofthe slide 46 there are disposed spring guide plates 56 serving toguidethe thread ends as described later. Said guide plates are attachedto the vertical part 58 of the machine frame bymeans of 'angle-pieces:57.

The slides 45 and 46 are connected with bushes'59 capable of sliding onrods 60 and 61. Thesero ds 60, 61 are connected witha pair oflevers-62-and63which are mounted onshafts 64 and 65 between the machineframe Walls 58 and- 66. Thetwo levers ofeachpair of levers 62 areconnected with each other by a shaft 67 which engages with the doublelever-69 through a steer ing rod 68. A pivot-bearingof said lever 69 ismounted on a shaft 70. The free end of'said double lever-69 engages witha'rod 71 whichisstcered' by a-curved'-disk or cam 76 through a lever 72,ashaft 73 and another lever 74 with a roller 75. In this way thereisachieved a parallel displacement ofthe two guide pieces 51 and 52 inthe direction of the Winding spindle 6. I

When the slides-45 and 46 and"consequently theguide pieces 51 and 52 arein-their-advanced' position (Figure 3'), the thread is drawnto comebefore thewinding mechanism. The slides are then moved toward themachine frame after the two knives 77 and 78 have cut ofi the thread.The guide pieces 51 and 52 now put the thread-on the winding spindle 6which is provided von-its front side with a groove 79 for receiving thethread, said groove being made at right angles with respect to the slot7. When somoved, the thread 15 is caused to lie inthe grooves 54 of theguide pieces. During the'movement of the slide, the ends of the threadare guided by means of the guide plates'56- as indicated in Figures 6and 7.

Coincidentallywithsaid horizontal movement of the slides and- 46 causedby the curveddrum 50, there is another movement of the'slides toward'thewinding spindle 6 which latter movement is caused by the curved disk 76;The semi-circular cut-outs 53 of theguide-pieces come nearer and nearerto the winding spindle, the thread being laid into the horizontalgroovesfS S. When the guide pieces have reached the opposed=terrninalposition (Figure 8), the cut-outs 53 lie on" the spindle 6 The spindleis now driven by means of a gear wheel 81 through a pinion 80' capableof being displaced tngether with said spindle,the gear wheel 81in turnbeing intermittently set to rotation by means -of another gelar wheel 82(Figure 1). a resultithe wadding Web is wound on the spindle to form: apreformedroll- 83jthe thread ends also winding on the spindle (Figure8); i The.

guide pieces 51 and-52 are then advancedagainlsothat they press thethread ends against the front side ofithe Pr fo me r011 nd r m a lfr nih f pi'itd s to a conveyor band 4 ,or the likecpnveyingit'to a press ingand packing machine.

The method according to the invention above; all otters the advantagethat the thrcador the ribbon is connected to the web mechanicallyandautomaticallyi The thread ends being as a result of this rncthoddisposed 'onfthe front side of the tampon may thus be held convenientlywhen the tampon .is to be used; V

What we claim is: l. A machine for inserting a drawing thread Q11ribbQtl inatampon or the .likecomprising awindingspindlga slot providedat one end of said spindle, means for guiding and positioning a waddingweb, means for moving said spindle along its axis until the web isreceived in the slot of said spindle, two slides rneans for positioninga thread substantially at right angles to said web and between the webandtheinitial position of said slides,.means for'displacingsaidslidesfrom said initial positionalong a path substantially parallel tothe axis of said spindle until the thread is positioned on said spindle,means for rotating Sfiitlspindle. about its axis to wind-a'waddingrollQfi'th web, and to wind the free ends of the threadaboutsaid spindle,and means for pressing the ends of the thread wound about said spindleagainsta face ofsaid roll and for simultaneously stripping off saidrolland thread from said spindle.

2. A machine as defined in claim 1 comprising semicircular-guidepieces-attached to-said slides for-positioning the thread on saidspindle and stripping off said rolls.

3. A machine'as defined in claim 2 comprisingplates disposed adjacentthe path ofsaid slides for guiding the free-ends ofthe thread.

4.- A machine as defined in claim 3 wherein the surfaces of saidguidepieces facing said spindle are pro,- vided with grooves, andwherein afurther groove is provided on the end of said spindle facingsaid thread, said grooves in said guidepieces and in said spindleserving to receive the thread.

5. A machine for providing a tampon or the like with athread comprisinga main shaft, means for rotating said-shaft, a curved drum on'saidshaft, a lever controlled by Said drum, a-winding spindle, one end ofsaid spindle being coupled to-said'lever for reciprocating said spindlealongits axis upon rotation of said shaft, means for rotating. saidspindle intermittently about its axis, means for guiding and positioningawadding web, a slot provided inthe other end of said'spindle forreceiving said 'wadding: web, slides, means for positioning a threadsubstantially at aright angle to said Web and between said web and saidslides, means for moving said slides along a. path substantiallyparallel to the axis of. said spindle until the threadextends along saidspindle, and semicircularfguide pieces attached to said slides forpositioning-the thread along saidv spindle. 6. A machine asdefined'inclaim 5 comprisingv tongs for grasping the thread and: pulling it intothepath of Said spindle, -cam-means onsaid shaft, lever means con:trolled byr-said cammeans:and coupled to; said tongs for lifting andlowering the-same, aguiding rod for guiding said tongsduring their.lifting and lowering, motions, a control 1 od,'cam means carried at theends'of said'control rodtorropening the-tongs-held bya springin thedlosure position; and meansfor lifting and lowering; said oontrolrbd toopen said'tongs upon displapement-ofsaid cam means in response to themovement of said control rod:

7. A- machine-asdefinedin claim 6 comprising-means for causing: said:semi-circular guide pieces to approach said spindleassaid slides movein.an axial direction along said spindle to facilitate stripping of saidroll.

References Cited in the fileof th-is patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

